Association of Employees
Supporting Education Services

Sign up to Learn: AESES Education Seminars

Monday, September 30th, 2019

Interested in participating in this fall’s education seminars? Fill out the online registration form and submit it to the AESES Office (via interdepartmental mail), along with your payment, prior to the October 16th deadline. We’ve got a wonderful bunch of learning opportunities on offer:

Cardio Kickboxing – Thursday, October 24.  7:00-8:00pm. Free for AESES/$10 for non-AESES. Rev up your cardio and endurance while you skip, kick and punch to the music, creating a fitter and more self-confident you! No experience is required for this full body, non-contact workout. Let off some steam in the process. (20 participants maximum)

1919 Winnipeg General Strike Bus Tour – Saturday, October 26.  1:00-4:00pm. $5 for AESES and non-AESES. This bus tour, hosted by AESES, will take in some of the key historical sites and landmarks that were important to the strike and labour movement in 1919, following a route from Winnipeg’s North End, through the Exchange district, and ending at the site of Bloody Saturday. The narrated tour will re-tell strike events, explain where they occurred, highlight former social and economic conditions that led to the strike, and share stories about key personalities involved. (36 participants maximum/AESES members can register and be accompanied by one non-AESES guest each)

Royal Canadian Mint Tour – Saturday, October 26.  1:30-2:15pm. Free for AESES/$10 for non-AESES. The Royal Canadian Mint produces some of the world’s most stunning collectible coins, crafted from original designs by Canadian artists.  This interactive guided tour will feature a behind-the-scenes looks at the Mint’s state-of-the-art facilities and displays. Imagine seeing all that money (behind reinforced glass). (20 participants maximum)

Can My Employer Do That? – Monday, November 4. 5:15-6:45pm. UM Bannatyne / Thursday, November 7. 5:15-6:45pm. UM Ft. Garry / Wednesday, November 27. 5:15-6:45pm. UW. Free. AESES’ very own Labour Relations Officer (Lorne Hilton) and Member Services Officer (Colleen Thompson) will lead the discussion on  frequently encountered situations at work, including Employer Rights, Sick Leave, and Leave/Time Off Requests. Knowing your rights and the Employer’s rights can help you clarify these situations. (No limit to participants)

East Indian Cuisine: Soup and Chutney – Sunday, November 10.  3:00-5:00pm. $20 for AESES/$30 for non-AESES. This cooking demonstration will see participants learning to make a tomato-based Sweet n’ Sour Chutney and a Lentil Soup, using the harvest of a Winnipeg garden, or grocery shelves. These same recipes will warm you right up in the coming months. (12 participants maximum)

Paint Your Own Pottery – Wednesday, November 13.  6:30-8:30pm. $5 for AESES/$15 for non-AESES. Create your own work of art, using one of the many samples as inspiration or totally go with your own ideas. It’s a simple 3-step process: choose your piece, create your design, and paint away! All ceramics, materials, paints and glazes are provided. (20 participants maximum)

Seminars are intended for signed AESES members and their significant others. All sessions are filled, based on when registrations and payments are received by the AESES Office. If you are not yet signed (or aren’t sure), but are interested in attending, contact the AESES Office and we can have you fill out a membership form if needed.

Collective Agreement Questions? Drop in for a Session

Thursday, September 12th, 2019

AESES is pleased to announce that we are trialing a new type of service for our members – an informal drop-in session! This is your chance to speak to an AESES representative face-to-face during working hours at your campus.

Drop in and speak with our Member Services Officer, Colleen Thompson, and receive guidance/advice on workplace issues. All inquiries are confidential and your questions and concerns will not be shared with anyone else without your approval.

Potential (general) questions you could pose and have answered include:

• What is a Collective Agreement and where do I find ours?
• What are the different types of leaves available to me?
• When does seniority apply?
• What happens if the Collective Agreement is silent on an issue?
• Anything else you’re curious/unclear about or want more information on

Drop-in sessions will be offered on:

• Wednesday, September 18th. At UM Fort Garry. In Room 524, University Centre. Between 9am and 1pm.
• Wednesday, September 25th. At UM Bannatyne. In Room 209, Brodie. Between 9am and 1pm.
• Wednesday, October 2nd. At UW. In Room 1C34, Centennial Hall. Between 9am and 1pm.

Appointments at specific times can also be scheduled/requested. To book one of these, please email Colleen directly at cthompson@aeses.ca. Please note that meeting times may be limited to a 15-minute duration, if other members are waiting for a turn.

Come meet your Member Services Officer. Come have your pressing contract-related questions answered. Come to the drop-in session!

Election Questionnaires: “Raise Your Voice, Cast Your Vote” MB Campaign

Wednesday, September 4th, 2019

The Confederation of Canadian Unions (CCU) sent a detailed questionnaire to each of the major political parties in Manitoba in August, as part of the “Raise Your Voice, Cast Your Vote” campaign. The questions were designed to elicit answers to more fully explain each party’s plans if they were elected.

Thus far, the CCU has only received responses from the NDP and the Green Party.  While it is disappointing that some parties did not feel that they needed to respond to this important questionnaire, a non-response still says something.

AESES encourages all of our members to review these responses prior to voting. They are posted to CCU’s ‘Manitoba Election’ web page, which will be updated in the case of further (outstanding) responses being received.

Additionally, the NDP response can be viewed here.
The Green Party response can be viewed here.

Why we Celebrate: Labour Day

Friday, August 30th, 2019

Happy Labour Day from AESES!

We hope you have an opportunity to enjoy the upcoming long weekend, a final break before the busyness of fall arrives and we really start labouring away after another wonderful summer. Relax, celebrate, and don’t think about Tuesday until the long weekend is fully over.

As a union and as union members, we certainly have lots of reasons to celebrate Labour Day, including the many accomplishments of Canada’s labour movement over the years, and those by our own negotiating teams during past bargaining rounds, furthering workers’ rights and improving working conditions.

The Confederation of Canadian Unions (CCU) produced a postcard, which summarizes the history of the Trade Unions Act of 1872 and the official recognition of Labour Day as a national holiday in Canada in 1894.

Union Support: ATU Local 1505

Thursday, August 29th, 2019

On behalf of AESES, President Laurie Morris, crafted and sent off a letter of support to Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505 (ATU), with respect to their ongoing contract negotiations with the City of Winnipeg. 

Some of the text is included below:

The Association of Employees Supporting Education Services (AESES) represents approximately 3,000 support staff members at the University of Manitoba, St. Andrew’s College and The University of Winnipeg. Many of our members rely on Winnipeg Transit to get to and from their work sites. While some do this as a matter of preference, the vast majority utilize Winnipeg Transit’s services as a matter of need. We stand in solidarity with the ATU in their efforts to secure a fair and reasonable collective agreement with the City of Winnipeg.

AESES supports the ATU in your continued negotiations for improved working conditions in the face of disappointing scare tactics and inadequate offers from the City. In this, the year of the centennial of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, it is ironic that the ATU is still fighting for basic rights for their members.

We strongly urge the City to continue to meet with the ATU and to negotiate a fair settlement to this labour dispute.

Copy of AESES’ Letter of Support for ATU Local 1505

Apply For CCU $: Union Bursaries for Dependent Children

Tuesday, August 27th, 2019

The Confederation of Canadian Unions (CCU) provides annual bursaries of $500 for dependent children of members of affiliate unions belonging to the CCU, for the purpose of furthering their post-secondary education.

There will be a lottery for these bursaries at our Executive Board meeting in Ottawa in October. The bursary application is available online here: www.ccu-csc.ca/ccucsc-john-st-amand-madeleine-parent-2019-bursary-notice/

The successful applicants will be contacted by email after the Executive Board meeting on October 5, 2019. Upon receipt of proof of enrollment and a 500-1000 word essay on ‘What Unionism Means to You,’ the winners will be sent the award. Note that that applicants are NOT required to submit an essay at this time.

The deadline for submitting the bursary application is Monday, September 30, 2019.

Central affiliate (including AESES) members should send their completed and signed bursary forms to (a scanned copy of the completed form may be sent via email):
Leanne Shumka
AESES
103-900 Harrow St. E.
Winnipeg, MB  R3M 3Y7
Lmshumka@gmail.com

Extra, Extra: insideAESES Newsletter (August 2019)

Wednesday, July 31st, 2019

August’s issue of ‘insideAESES’ is printed and ready for your reading pleasure. This edition of ‘insideAESES’ features valuable articles related to:

• In Review: Celebrations – Centenary of the Winnipeg General Strike
• From the President’s Desk
• Strike Essay Prizes Awarded
• UM Employee Spotlight – Cindy Liao
• Contract Admin
• New Faces and Hires
• Contract Negotiation Updates
• Learning Lessons and Gaining Knowledge
• Can You Tell Me? What Unpaid/Paid Options are there for me to Care for my Sick Family?
• Reflecting on CCU’s Executive Board Meeting
• Member Comments

Click on the following link to become informed about everything AESES related – August 2019 insideAESES newsletter

Winners: 1919 Strike Essays

Thursday, July 25th, 2019

During the month of May AESES ran its first ever essay contest, to commemorate the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike and its 100th anniversary. There were six one-time essay prizes up for grabs, valued at $500 each, to be awarded to those who best captured the spirit of the 1919 Strike and its lasting legacy. Submissions were accepted from signed AESES members, as well as their spouses and dependents. From a pool of 18 entries, a panel of judges narrowed the choices down to this winning set.

We are happy to announce the six prize winners and essay finalists. They are:

• Jo Davies (UM) – Dear Diary
• Joan Duesterdiek (UW) – 1919 Winnipeg General Strike: Six Weeks of Solidarity and Beyond
• Michelle Micuda (UM) – Why the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike Matters to Canadians
• Paul Panchyshyn (UM) – Labour Divided: Lessons from the Winnipeg General Strike
• Patricia Roche (UM) – Roger Bray: My Great-Great-Grandfather, the Rabble-Rouser
• Gloria Saindon (UM) – 1919 Winnipeg General Strike: Past Present Future

Thank you to all those who took the time to contribute their written pieces. We sure enjoyed reading through them!

Recap: Solidarity Forever Parade

Friday, June 14th, 2019

In commemoration of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, AESES entered a float in the Solidarity Forever Parade on May 25th, along with a small contingent of AESES members and their families.

Video proof of the day

We definitely stood out with a brightly coloured float and live music. Our theme was “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants,” to honour those who went on strike in 1919, making a tremendous impact to collective bargaining for the future. It was also an opportunity to honour our (mostly) retired AESES members who went on strike in 1975, after negotiating our first collective agreement at the University of Manitoba.

On the float representing a telephone operator (or Hello Girl) was Joan Duesterdiek, UW Contract Administrator. Representing an elevator operator was AESES staff member Blair Zelinsky. On the next platform were two retired AESES members who had been on the picket line in 1975, Brenda Miller and Janet Sealey (AESES past-President 1999-2006). Behind them were Lynda Closson and Laurie Morris (AESES President), representing current members. Finally, at the top of the float were our musicians, Darryl Reilly and AESES Board member, Rob Parker. Thank you to you all.

Many thanks are required, starting with the AESES Ad hoc 1919 Strike Event Committee (Leanne Shumka, Chris McCann, Rob Parker, Heather Brownlee, Dianne Bulback, and Bill Spornitz), for their willingness to take on many tasks and events for this once-in-a-lifetime celebration.

Thanks also go out to:

• Mike Thul, UW, for assisting us with the trailer rental and a place to store and decorate the float.
• Bill and Carol Belsham, for the use of their big truck and driving our float through the parade. What a bonus that the truck was white!
• Darryl Reilly and Rob Parker, for their musical talents. The labour songs were a roaring success!
• Shane Stewart, for helping with the build and assisting the decorating and tear-down process.
• Karen Schellenberg, for assisting with costume selection.
• Carmine Vizza and Steven Labay, UW, for their assistance with moving the risers, when and as needed.
• Chris McCann, AESES Executive Vice-President, for our banners and t-shirts, and shuttling pieces of our build between the UM and UW.
• Astro Parade Company, for great decorations and their able assistance in determining what supplies we needed.
• The Sound Exchange, for donating the telephone operator headsets for our use.
• The decorators: Heather Brownlee, Leanne Shumka, Joan Duesterdiek, Shane Stewart, Lynda Closson, and Gloria and Don Saindon.
• Our Press Agent: Dan Gwozdz. Thanks for taking pictures and videos, so we could showcase our involvement.
• Parade marshals: Leanne Shumka, Dianne Bulback, Heather Brownlee and Gail Mackisey.
• Ron Morris, for shuttling people from the end of the parade to their cars and hauling float items back to AESES.
• Our contingent of walkers. I won’t try to name everyone, since I would definitely forget a few. But, I would like to thank you for picking up the gauntlet thrown down at Members’ Day. I hope you enjoyed handing out freebies to the many spectators and the free concert at Memorial Park following the parade.

Finally, I would like to commend the Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL) and the parade organizers for their dedication and hard work on the parade and the following concert. It was an unbelievable event that I will never forget!

Thank you, everyone! I really hope that I didn’t forget anyone in my gratitude. If I did, I apologize and extend my thanks!

Laurie Morris, AESES President

Extra, Extra: insideAESES Newsletter (June 2019)

Monday, June 3rd, 2019

June’s issue of ‘insideAESES’ is printed and ready for your reading pleasure. This edition of ‘insideAESES’ features valuable articles related to:

• Volunteer Appreciation
• From the President’s Desk
• UM Employee Spotlight – Betty McGregor
  
• Contract Negotiation Updates
• Contract Admin
• New Faces and Hires
• Lunch Service: Perogy Consumption
• AESES Appointments
• Recap: Solidarity Forever Parade
• Can You Tell Me? How Do I Submit my Job Description for a Reclassification Review Process?

Click on the following link to become informed about everything AESES related – June 2019 insideAESES newsletter